The album Faces from 2020 is the follow-up to vocalist Kaoru Azuma and pianist Hitomi Nishiyama’s first album Travels (2013). As with the earlier work, this album features mostly original compositions from the pianist that are delicately adorned with the light and airy voice of Azuma, who adds lyrics and instrument-like vocalizing to the music. Along with Azuma and Nishiyama are the same members as before, guitarist Motohiko Ichino, saxophonist Ryosuke Hashizume, and bassist Toru Nishijima. On the tracks, the five musicians play in different combinations including a duo, trios, quartets, and the full quintet for subtle variations in sound, structure, and solo space. ...

This special release from Baby Brothers, entitled Happy Christmas with Bb (side b, the final live at plug and more), warmly celebrates the holidays and commemorates the vocal quintet’s final performance in 2007, layering bittersweet emotions with abundantly joyful singing and expression. The album starts with eight tracks performed and recorded in concert. This live portion features the a capella quintet using their voices in beautiful harmony with charming arrangements from their repertoire including the classic jazz standard “My Favorite Things”, some jazzy soul and pop selections, and three well-known Japanese songs. ...

Uta Oto from sax player Miyuki Moriya is a modern jazz album full of emotion and spirit… a bit spiritual, even. The music created by Moriya’s trio ranges from brooding and wistful, to simple cheer, folk, free, and comforting. As the music plays the mood passes from somber strife to resurgence like a theme hinted at in the liner notes, a story of rejuvenation through musical inspiration and partnership. In addition to playing original jazz with her long-running quartet, Moriya has also led less common formations including drummer-less trios (with sax, piano, bass), bass-less trios (sax, piano, drums), and chord-less trios (sax, bass, drums), as well as groups focused on the music of famous Japanese jazz musicians and composers. ...

What’s J Jazz? J Jazz, or Japanese Jazz, is a classification label found in sections of some record and CD shops in Japan. These are sections that record stores use to spotlight and organize albums from Japanese jazz musicians. By separating the Japanese artists’ albums from the general jazz section, both local and overseas customers who are visiting Japan can more easily find unfamiliar Japanese jazz albums. This is especially helpful for travelers with limited time who want to find and obtain these albums quickly. A favorite spot to browse the current J Jazz offerings in Tokyo is Disk Union “Jazz Tokyo” near Ochanomizu station. There are many second-hand offerings there as well, providing a great way to stock up on lower-priced albums. ...

As a companion piece to the previous article on Hideaki Hori’s /Horizon/, this follow-up post introduces the pianist’s recent solo album Melodies for Night & Day from 2022. Posting about the same musician in succession here is rare but somewhat appropriate, as this new album also pairs well with the pianist’s debut album from the previous article, marking a twenty-year milestone and a total of twenty albums released under his name in those years. ...

Jazz pianist Hideaki Hori kicked off his recording career 20 years ago, and it all started with this debut album Horizon from 2003. Since then, he’s released another 20 albums as leader in his nearly 30-year career under his own name or as the group “Encounter” with saxophonist Wataru Hamasaki. As a session musician and recording partner, Hori has also played on more than 160 albums for many notable Japanese and international acts including “Dreams Come True”, “Paris Match”, Eddie Henderson, Mabumi Yamaguchi, and many others. It’s an impressive resume for an accomplished pianist who’s still actively playing live music somewhere in front of an audience almost every day. ...

Tokyo jazz club Lydian quickly entered the list of favorite places to listen to live jazz that had opened in the past decade. This jazz spot took a listener-friendly approach and created a completely enjoyable experience with great audio and lighting. Lydian was in business for about seven years, steadily gaining traction with local jazz musicians and fans until closing down earlier this year. Figure 1: Saxophonist Ayumi Koketsu and pianist Akane Matsumoto speaking between songs at Lydian in 2017 ...

Trombonist Nanami Haruta’s debut release II from 2022 is another great example of new jazz albums from new players that keep flowing to the hands and ears of eager fans. Haruta, a young player who has been making an impact in the Japanese jazz scene, has been frequently featured as both leader and guest member at various live shows. In addition to this debut, she has also participated in other recent recordings such as 64 Charlesgate (2022) and For My Lady (2023). ...

Akane Matsumoto’s solo piano album Little Girl Blue from 2022 is full of good moods and good vibes, definitely different from any downcast implications that the album title may imply. A comfortable 42 minutes of traditional jazz standards from the 1930s-60s, this is feel-good music, happy jazz with a heartfelt beat, and even the most melancholy song, “Too Late Now”, is more likely to evoke a wistful smile than sorrowful tears. ...